Mud-guard for motor and other road-vehicles.



F. RAWLINS. MUD GUARD roa MOTOR AND OTHER ROAD VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1913.

Patented Aug. 4, 191% FREDERICK RAWLINS,

OF HACKNEY, LONDON, ENGLAND.

MUD-GUARD FOR MOTOR AND OTHER- ROAD-VEHICLES.

Application filed. November 28, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK RAWLINS, asubject of the King of Great Britain and iIreland, residing at Hackney,in the county of London, England, have invented Improvements in orRelating to Mud-Guards for Motor and other Road-Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to detachable mudguards for motor or other roadvehicles and it has for its object to provide for the attachment anddetachment of a guard in an improved manner, the fastening means be ingeasy to quickly manipulate and very Secure in function.

In accordance with the present invention the connection is effectedthrough the agency of composite spigot and socket members be tween whicha frictional grip is obtained by wedging or distention. Conveniently thespigot and socket members may be horizontally disposed so that themud-guard can he slipped on and off with a sidewise movement, meansbeing provided for producing relative axial movement between the membersof the composite spigot or socket necessary to secure release andadapted to hold such members in release position, whereby a mud guardcan be manipulated by a single individual when the fastening means areso widely separated or are of such a number as to prevent their beingsimultaneously held by hand in the release position which would, in theabsence of the holding means aforesaid, be necessary to enable the mudguard to be removed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a section, taken transversely,of a mud guard to which one arrangement according to the invention isapplied. Fig. 2 is a cross section corresponding to the line A-A ofFig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4: are similar views to Fig. 1, showingmodifications.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a socket a secured in any suitable manner, asby eyes 7), to the underside of the mud guard 7) may be arranged toexert a grip upon a spigot constituted by the ordinary bent metal rod orcarrier 0 attached to a motor vehicle for carrying a mud guard. One endof such socket may be tapered internally to a slight extent, as shown asat (Z, so as to become conical, and a sleeve like member c may bemounted therein so as to slide loosely upon the supporting rod 0. Ballsf, of say phosphor bronze or steel, may be housed to a Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4:, 1914.

Serial No. 803,588.

against a cap 7' screwed into the socket. In

order to effect release of the mud guard, the inner removable member 0with balls f can be retracted against the action of the spring, by anysuitable means such as an extension i secured to the member 6 andprovided with a finger piece 21 or by a lever pivoted to the socket a,the arrangement being such that while in use the extension i enters arecess at a in the socket a, and screw cap j while when the member 0 hasbeen retracted against the action of the spring by the finger piece 2',both can be turned to cause the extension 2' to bear against the up 9'and hold the member a in the release position. In this way the mud-guardb can be easily manipulated by one person in cases where it may have tobe removed from more than one supporting rod 0, as the fastening devicefor each supporting rod can be disengaged from the rod and left in thedisengaged position. Preferably the supporting rod 0 is provided. with acollar is and with a rubber or like yielding washer m against which thesocket a can be forced to assist in releasing the grip of the balls f onthe rod 0.

As a modification, shown in Fig. 3, the innor end 6 of the inner movablemember 6 may be split, as shown at c, to enable it to expand andcontract and be recessed to receive the halls f which, in such case,transmit the grip to the rod 0 through the split parts of the inner end6' of the member 6 in lieu of acting directly upon such rod.

In Fig. l, a still further modification is shown, the balls f beingincorporated in the rode, which is made hollow, and acted upon by theconical end portion a of a centrally arranged sliding member n extendingthrough the hollow portion of the rod 0 and the screw cap 7' of thesocket a so that they can press against the inner surface of a plaincylindrical socket a secured to the mud guard. In this case the member ncan be retracted against the action of the spring h by a cam headedlever or trigger 0 move ment of which from the position illustrated intoa position in alinement with the socket 66 will cause it to remain inthe latter position and allow the socket to be readily slipped oif andon the supporting rod 0.

By the means described, a mud-guard can be quickly fixed in an immovableposition on a vehicle insuch a manner as to insure entire absence ofrattle or vibration in the securing means such as it is impossible topermanently obtain in cases Where screws. bolts, nuts and the like areemployed for ob taining easy detachability.

."Vhat I claim is 1. In combination, a mud guard, a stationary supporttherefor, means adapted to enable the mud guard to be automaticallyattached thereto in the act of placing it in position and means adaptedto render the automatic attachment at the support inoperative and holdthe same in the inoperative position When the mud guard is to bereleased.

2. In combination, a mud guard, a stationary supporting spigot therefor,a composite socket upon the mud guard adapted to be slipped intoautomatic gripping contact with the spigot, and means movable in anaxial direction to produce displacement between the members of thecomposite socket to effect release and in a circumferential direction toprevent return of the nembers from release to gripping position.

3. For enabling a mud guard to be easily applied. to and removed from astationary supporting rod therefor carried by a vehicle, a compositesocket comprising another member adapted to be secured to the undersideof the mud guard and having a tapered inner end portion, an inner socketmember adapted to move endwise Within said outer socket and to slideupon the corresponding supporting rod adapted to extend through it, ridinner socket carrying at its inner end balls arranged to act against thetapered inner portion of said outer socket and to then grip thesupporting rod, and provided at its outer end With a projecting shoulderor abutment adapted upon partial Withdrawal of the inner socket from theouter socket and subsequent partial rotation to engage the adjacentouter end of the outer socket and hold the inner socket in its Withdrawnposition and a spring acting between said outer and inner sockets andsurrounding the latter and serving to cause it to automatically returnto its operative position when disengaged from the end of the outersocket.

Signed at London, England, this 13th day of November, 1913.

FREDERICK RAWLINS. Witnesses:

H. D. JAMEsoN, W. E. Rooms.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). U.

